These enchanted monuments created a magic barrier that prevented the savage trolls from penetrating the elven lands[3] and to create a magical barrier that stopped the use of arcane magic from being sensed by the Burning Legion.[2] The barrier were not used for millennia, but the runestones, untouched by fire and blade, remained[3] until the Second War.

During the Second War the great Runestone at Caer Darrow was captured by the orcwarlockGul'dan who used its potent magics to create the Altars of Storms, which in turn created the first ogre-magi. Gul'dan speculated that the high elves had used enslaved trolls to physically move the stones into place, similarly to how he used ogre slaves to destroy them and build the Altar, though this is unconfirmed.[4]

Following Thrall's reformation of the Horde, many Altars were retooled by troll masons into structures capable of channeling shamanistic energies with the intent of reviving fallen heroes.[5]